Turkish MFA at the CoE : Lausanne Peace Treaty = "Disadvantage" ?...

Escrito por ACM

12.10.16

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- Surprisingly evoking "Freedom of Expression", Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, indirectly but clearly, indicated Ankara's recent Dislike of the Lausanne Peace Treaty, which, despite its controrsial points, has at least Succeeded to Safeguard against War South-Eastern Europe, and particularly the Greco-Turkish relations, while also being traditionaly considered as an Historic Founding text for Turkey itself, almost 1 Century after the Collapse of Medieval former Ottoman-Turkish Empire, all the way between 1923 - 2016.

He was Replying to the 1st Question raised by a MEP at CoE's PanEuropean Assembly Today in Strasbourg, on behalf of the Biggest Political Group of MEPs, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, by Experienced, former Foreign Minister, Dora Bakoyannis, from Greece, currently President of CoE Assembly's Committee on OECD and BERD, and former President of its Political affairs Committee, who pointed at some Recent Controversial Statements made by Turkish President Tayip Erdogan, against the 1923 Lausanne Peace Treaty, particularly in relation of the OverMillenary Greek Islands at the Aegean Sea, facing what is (since then) Turkey's Coasts, on the occasion of the 2015-2016 Unprecedented "Tsunami" of 1,5 Million Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants tresspassing into the EU through Turkey.

Curiously, despite his own, Personal Experience, precisely at CoE's PanEuropean Assembly during more than a Decade, and even, briefly, at its Top Job, (instead of a Russian Top MEP, Margelov, who was reportedly supposed to take over that Key post in the Past), Cavusoglu did Not even Try to Deny, Limit, Downplay, or, at least, Alleviate, Nor Soften in any way, Erdogan's reportedly Negative Criticism against the 1923 Lausanne Treaty. Instead, he Focused mainly on searching Excuses for Erdogan's Criticism, obviously Dangerous for the Stability of the whole South-Eastern area of Europe, by invoking that same "Freedom of Expression", that he notoriously Denies to many (currently Prosecuted massively) Dissident Turkish Journalists, both of the Right and of the Left, etc...

Moreover, he also prefered to Add some supplementary Negative Wording, by Hinting f.ex.,on this occasions at "International Agreements" that Turkey may "Not Like", and/or "Believe" to be In"Correct" and Not "Justified", merely because, Suddenly, it might, eventualy, Feel that such an International "Convention... may be to the .... DisAdvantage of Turkey", as he pointed out in his Reply.

In this regard, "of course", as a matter of General Principle, "all Countries must honour International Agreements and Contracts", Cavusoglu admitted after Bakoyannis Question, But, nevertheless, "Everyone can Express Opinions", and "Mr President (Erdogan, of Turkey) can, of course, Freely Express his Opinion about (such a) Convention".

- "This is Freedom of Expression, and Not a Threat against Greece, or any Other Country", (f.ex. EU Member Bulgaria, etc), he Claimed in conclusion, (withOut, however, saying Anything at all in order to ensure that Turkey will not attempt to Violate, in any way, even that Peace Treaty)...

At this point, it naturaly becomes inevitable to, at least, Timely remind a Recent Reaction to those Erdogan's controversial Statements, by the President of EU Parliament's Committee on relations with Turkey, mainstream MEP Kefalogianis from Greece, who, Speaking to "Eurofora" Last Week at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, spontaneously Smiled, and Found "Logical" and "a Good Point", that he'd like to use, at the simple Idea that, If Turkey doesn't really Like, No more, that 1923 Lausanne Treaty, then, we should Get Back to the pre-existing 1919-1920 Sevres' Treaty, (which, by the way, had been Signed by all the Succesful Winners of the 1st World War in Europe, and some among the Best and most Popular Political Leaders that those European Countries had ever had in their Modern History, (including, f.ex., Lloyd George and -Young- Winston Churchil in Great Britain, President Alexandre Millerand in France, President Woudroy Wilson in the USA, etc):

- Indeed, it's enough to simply Compare the 2 MAPs resulting by that Initial Peace Treaty of Sevres, at 1919-1920, and the subsequent, 1923 Lausanne Treaty, (See Photos Attached herewith), in order to immediately understand that, naturaly, with that Initial Peace Treaty, EU's External Borders at the Greek Islands of Aegean Sea, (Neither Bulgaria's Borders vis a vis Turkey), would Not have had Any Problem, Today, of the kind of what Europe has Now to Face, since that Unprecedented, Sudden "Tsunami" of 1,5Million Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants tresspassing via what is Nowadays Turkey's Coasts. (Not even a bloody Kurdish Issue, Nor an Armenian Problem, No Cyprus' Issue, Neither ISIS Terrosists at Today's Turco-Syrian Borders, No Turkish Military Invasions in Syria and/or Iraq, presently Denounced by Both Countries' Governments, (etc), for Obvious reasons...

Is that, perhaps, what Mr. Erdogan had wished for, by launching loud Accusations against the subsequent, Lausanne Peace Treaty (of 1923, i.e. just After the Massacre of the OverMillenary Population of Greeks at Smyrne on 1922, renamed Later "Izmir", who were all Massively and Violently Expelled and Chassed Away from their Family Homes and Ancestral Land, those Resisting being Burned alive, Lynched, or otherwise Killed, as, f.ex., even the Old ArchiBishop of that Ancient City, as everybody knows, thanks also to a well-known,Dramatic Historic Book/Testimony by the American Consul who worked then at Smyrne, etc) ?

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Speaking exclusively to "EuroFora", the New EU Parliament's President, former Polish Prime Minister, ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Jerzy Busek, welcomed proposals by EuroFora about innovative ways for EU Citizens to attend EU debates before important final decisions which affect people's lives.

- "We (EU Parliament) must be transparent", Buzek stressed from the outset. "We must have clear answers also for delicate questions. If we don't touch a problem, you must know why, and when shall we decide in the nearest future".. "Because "we (EU) must think about Europeans, first of all : They don't understand well what is going on in the EU. So, it's our duty to inform them, to make discussions here more interesting".

"EuroFora" congratulated President Buzek for the anouncement he made, from the 1st day of his election in Strasbourg (on Tuesday, 14 July 2009), on his intention to make transparent debates, exchanges of views, etc. before the final adoption of decisions in EU Parliament's Plenary, when issues are evolving inside Committees, (See earlier publication).

And we reminded, in this regard, that "EuroFora" has been advocating a project for EU Citizens' active involvement in pluralist EU debates before important EU decisions, since more than a Decade : 1997-2007+

- "Thank you. We (EU Parliament), indeed, have exciting debates", Buzek replied. But, in practice, "without a possibility for our Citizens to see them, not even by the Press, the Radio or TV, etc., because it is in Committees", he regreted.

- "But, they (i.e. Media, Citizens, etc) might interact with you, with MEPs, etc, May be we can imagine something", "EuroFora" proposed.

- "Precisely, "EuroFora" has such a project, since more than a Decade (1997-2009), to use new technologies for public debates before major EU decisions are taken", we reminded.

- "If you have such proposals, please come to us, come to us. We must" do something, agreed the new EU Parliamen's President.

This fits with Buzek's main stance, expressed at EU Parliament's plenary earlier this week in Strasbourg, that the European Union must succeed to overcome a "Crisis of Trust" vis a vis EU Citizens. (See previous EuroFora publication).

For that purpose, obviously information and debates are valuable, but purely instrumental, procedural means which can help focus on, and highlight a substantial content, attractive to EU Citizens, which needs to be determined by other, political, and not mediatic factors.

Buzek spoke about the urgent need to overcome the Global Economic Crisis, the struggle for Human and Civic Rights, Democracy, etc., the Eastern Partnership, links with Russia, strategic partnership with USA and emerging countries, etc.

But he also used (while speaking both to "EuroFora" and other Media) the expression : "The Europeans", for EU Citizens. This points right towards what several important EU leaders (including French President Sarkozy, German Chancellor Merkel, etc) have started to highlight particularly during the recent years : That there is a vital need, and an historic opportunity, for the development of a European Conscience, to stimulate e renaissance of a European Identity able to attract Popular support, for the EU to become a strong player in a Multopolar World : In other words, the revitalisation of a project for a "Political Europe".

By a coincidence, this was indirectly but surely reminded, earlier in Strasbourg, by another ... Busek (this time with a "s") :

Speaking to more than 650 participants from CoE's member countries, at the conclusion of the 2009 Summer University of its Political Schools, Erhard Busek, (with an "s"), former vice-Chancellor of Austria and EU Coordinator for South-Eastern Europe, pointed at the current need to revitalize Europe's "Identity", forged by Greek philosophy and Roman Law, Christian values and Enlightment's ideas, etc. through the ages.

- "We have almost the same name with Jerzy Buzek (EU Parliament's new President, who is a former Polish Prime Minister), because both our Families come ...from the same village, located at the Heart of Europe, which was often shared between Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. But my family emmigrated a long time ago to Austria, while Jerzy Buzek's family remained in Poland", explained f. vice-Chancellor Erhard Busek to "EuroFora".

An astonishingly concrete and simple example of European Integration from the grassroots : Starting by EU Citizens, i.e. those "Europeans", that EU Parliament's new President, Jerzy Buzek (this time with a "z"), wants to bring alongside MEP's decision-making proces, (according to "EuroFora"'s main idea : Comp. supra)...

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2009 EU Elections were won by Parties against Technocracy and Turkey's controversial EU bid, while the 1999-2004 Majority Abstention trend decelerated. What should be done in 2009-2014 ?

* My Media didn't clearly say which political positions won in 2009 EU Elections. It left it gray and confused.

* Respect People's Democratic Choices, by making EU less Technocratic, more open to EU Citizens' participation, and by rectifying 1999-2004's errors on Turkey's controversial EU bid, which blocked EU institutions in an unprecedented Crisis